Hunter of the Evernight
Chapter 665: Failed assassination

Chapter 665: Failed assassination

Give me one good reason why I should not turn you into a slave.

The Goddess Ninmah asked, her divine figure towering over a kneeling Sayda, almost as though she were about to declare judgment.

"Because such an act would require a battle, one that has a chance of ending in you being defeated or at least, ending up heavily injured, none of which you would like to happen." Sayda calmly said, somehow managing to say all that without meaning any disrespect.

Silence followed before she added.

"Also, there is no reason to do so. I believe it is better to assist me rather than engage in a fruitless struggle. Who knows, I might be able to help you out in some form."

Gold and silver, I do not lack. My Authority is greater than yours and I reign over an entire empire. What, say you, can you offer me that could interest me?

"A chance to escape the sea." Sayda casually remarked.

Hmm.

"You and I both know that if you could, the four continents would have felt your greatness in some form. Yet, there has never been talk of you attacking or even attempting to do so."

For there is no need.

"Lies," Sayda remarked. "I doubt you are happy about the fact that Khanna is ranked above you, considering her influence spreads across all of Eventide. You should be capable of the same, yet for some reason, you refrain from gaining such Authority. I can only think of one reason why that is; you are stuck."

Insolence!

The Goddess revealed her wrath, the entire space covered in blinding white lights as several lightning bolts manifested at once.

Maintaining her calm demeanor, Sayda continued. "I can’t claim to know why you are stuck, but I do believe that whatever has got you stuck must be greater than you, which means either something related to the Absolute himself or, perhaps, his angels."

Get to the point.

"I can get you something you can use to set yourself free. I don’t know how, but I believe it should have the power to do so, considering we plan on using it for something similar."

We?

"The Paragons," Sayda said. "I am on my way to retrieve the Midnight Pearl. Once we have utilized it, I would be more than happy to hand it over to you."

You would willingly give me a Branch of the Absolute?

"We will no longer need for it once we free the Harbinger from her bindings."

Ninmah said nothing, instead shifting her gaze towards Douglas’ unmoving body before she intoned.

Why should I wait for you when I can take it myself?

"Because your empire is limited to the sea and as difficult as it is for me to say this, you would only get the map over my dead body."

I see.

Sayda didn’t dare to look up as she waited for Ninmah to make her decision.

It didn’t take long before the familiar divine voice was heard.

I will grant you the ability to navigate the Azure Seas. All shall aid you in reaching Henos at record speed. However, only on the condition that you give me the Midnight Pearl once you are done using it.

"Deal," Sayda remarked without hesitation.

You may leave.

And so the Daemon left, taking Douglas along with her while Ninmah remained, her gaze shifting from the now empty area to the still sky above.

Muttering something to herself, she sank into the still waters.

***

All it took was five minutes of close combat for the defenders to immediately fall into a serious disadvantage against the aggressors, as they struggled to hold their lines.

Agrios led his men in a fearsome charge, quickly breaking apart Aristophon’s army.

Almost five hundred men fell within the first ten minutes of battle as Aristophon was continuously pushed back by Agrios, leaving him little breathing room.

There was no option for surrender so Agrios didn’t bother to say anything even as he knew that the battle was won.

All he had to do was wait, his gaze sweeping over the battlefield littered with the corpses of men, cryptids, mutants, and mechanical constructs.

Just as the timer clocked in on fifteen minutes, Agrios sensed something causing him to look around, his expression rapidly shifting to reveal his wariness.

Despite being an ordinary human, he had honed his senses in several life-threatening battles, allowing him to detect when someone was targeting him.

Was it a man, a supernatural being, or a mechanical construct?

His armor, forged of Quillion, could withstand supernatural danger so he was fine if it were the second option.

As for the first, the weapon being aimed at him would have to be ridiculously powerful to pierce his armor.

Which left the option of a mechanical construct.

He slowly pulled out a small pipe before pushing a button, causing it to extend, quickly transforming into a spear.

A musket shot echoed and he sent the spear flying in the next.

A resounding clang echoed as the bullet struck his armor.

Agrios glanced at his armor to find it without a single dent.

A human then.

"Sharpshooter!" He exclaimed while pointing at where his spear was currently lodged.

His subordinates swarmed over but by the time they arrived, the sniper was gone, leaving behind a few drops of blood and a musket that had gone through some modifications.

Meanwhile, at another location, Alex let out a sigh of relief while tending to his shoulder.

The spear hadn’t gone all the way through, but it had touched him.

To think that Agrios had such powerful arm strength.

It was beyond frightening.

"Humans are buffed and the supernatural is weakened. There’s no way I can make a difference in this battle." Alex admitted with slight annoyance.

He’d modified the musket of a fallen soldier with the intention of assassinating Agrios but the modification wasn’t sufficient to ensure the musket served its purpose well.

Hence the reason the bullet struck Agrios in the torso instead of the eye which was his intended target.